diff --git a/components/esp_hw_support/include/esp_private/esp_pau.h b/components/esp_hw_support/include/esp_private/esp_pau.h
index 7fdbaaa98d..ba975b7b8d 100644
--- a/components/esp_hw_support/include/esp_private/esp_pau.h
+++ b/components/esp_hw_support/include/esp_private/esp_pau.h
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2022-2023 Espressif Systems (Shanghai) CO LTD
+ * SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2022-2024 Espressif Systems (Shanghai) CO LTD
  *
  * SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
  */
@@ -77,6 +77,16 @@ void pau_regdma_trigger_extra_link_backup(void);
  */
 void pau_regdma_trigger_extra_link_restore(void);
 
+#if SOC_PAU_IN_TOP_DOMAIN
+/**
+ * @brief Rentention link entry selection, enable or disable the retention
+ *        link entry configuration in always-on domain
+ *
+ * @param enable Set true to use always-on domain link configuration instead
+ */
+void pau_regdma_enable_aon_link_entry(bool enable);
+#endif
+
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
 #endif
diff --git a/components/esp_hw_support/include/esp_private/sleep_retention.h b/components/esp_hw_support/include/esp_private/sleep_retention.h
index 85f96f7c51..076373c8f4 100644
--- a/components/esp_hw_support/include/esp_private/sleep_retention.h
+++ b/components/esp_hw_support/include/esp_private/sleep_retention.h
@@ -164,7 +164,6 @@ uint32_t sleep_retention_get_inited_modules(void);
  */
 uint32_t sleep_retention_get_created_modules(void);
 
-#if SOC_PM_RETENTION_HAS_CLOCK_BUG
 /**
  * @brief Software trigger REGDMA to do extra linked list retention
  *
@@ -172,7 +171,6 @@ uint32_t sleep_retention_get_created_modules(void);
  *                          or false for restore to register from memory
  */
 void sleep_retention_do_extra_retention(bool backup_or_restore);
-#endif
 
 #if SOC_PM_RETENTION_SW_TRIGGER_REGDMA
 /**
diff --git a/components/esp_hw_support/port/pau_regdma.c b/components/esp_hw_support/port/pau_regdma.c
index 2850d9dfb4..e914bfb96e 100644
--- a/components/esp_hw_support/port/pau_regdma.c
+++ b/components/esp_hw_support/port/pau_regdma.c
@@ -15,6 +15,10 @@
 #include "esp_private/esp_pau.h"
 #include "esp_private/periph_ctrl.h"
 
+#if SOC_PAU_IN_TOP_DOMAIN
+#include "hal/lp_sys_ll.h"
+#endif
+
 static __attribute__((unused)) const char *TAG = "pau_regdma";
 
 typedef struct {
@@ -107,3 +111,10 @@ void IRAM_ATTR pau_regdma_trigger_extra_link_restore(void)
     pau_hal_start_regdma_extra_link(PAU_instance()->hal, false);
     pau_hal_stop_regdma_extra_link(PAU_instance()->hal);
 }
+
+#if SOC_PAU_IN_TOP_DOMAIN
+void pau_regdma_enable_aon_link_entry(bool enable)
+{
+    lp_sys_ll_set_pau_aon_bypass(enable);
+}
+#endif
diff --git a/components/esp_hw_support/sleep_retention.c b/components/esp_hw_support/sleep_retention.c
index 8f7a73bf69..66fc643914 100644
--- a/components/esp_hw_support/sleep_retention.c
+++ b/components/esp_hw_support/sleep_retention.c
@@ -21,6 +21,10 @@
 #include "sdkconfig.h"
 #include "esp_pmu.h"
 
+#if SOC_CACHE_INTERNAL_MEM_VIA_L1CACHE
+#include "hal/cache_ll.h"
+#endif
+
 static __attribute__((unused)) const char *TAG = "sleep";
 
 struct sleep_retention_module_object {
@@ -183,9 +187,7 @@ typedef struct {
 
     struct sleep_retention_module_object instance[32];
 
-#if SOC_PM_RETENTION_HAS_CLOCK_BUG
 #define EXTRA_LINK_NUM  (REGDMA_LINK_ENTRY_NUM - 1)
-#endif
 } sleep_retention_t;
 
 static DRAM_ATTR __attribute__((unused)) sleep_retention_t s_retention = {
@@ -312,6 +314,7 @@ void sleep_retention_dump_entries(FILE *out)
             regdma_link_dump(out, s_retention.lists[s_retention.highpri].entries[entry], entry);
         }
     }
+    fflush(out);
     _lock_release_recursive(&s_retention.lock);
 }
 
@@ -770,22 +773,28 @@ esp_err_t sleep_retention_module_free(sleep_retention_module_t module)
     return err;
 }
 
-#if SOC_PM_RETENTION_HAS_CLOCK_BUG
 void IRAM_ATTR sleep_retention_do_extra_retention(bool backup_or_restore)
 {
     if (s_retention.highpri < SLEEP_RETENTION_REGDMA_LINK_HIGHEST_PRIORITY ||
         s_retention.highpri > SLEEP_RETENTION_REGDMA_LINK_LOWEST_PRIORITY) {
         return;
     }
+#if SOC_PAU_IN_TOP_DOMAIN
+    pau_regdma_enable_aon_link_entry(false);
+#endif
     // Set extra linked list head pointer to hardware
     pau_regdma_set_extra_link_addr(s_retention.lists[s_retention.highpri].entries[EXTRA_LINK_NUM]);
+#if SOC_CACHE_INTERNAL_MEM_VIA_L1CACHE
+    /* Data of retention link may be temporarily stored in L1 DCache, which is not accessible by
+       REGDMA, write it back to L2MEM before starting REGDMA. */
+    cache_ll_writeback_all(CACHE_LL_LEVEL_INT_MEM, CACHE_TYPE_DATA, CACHE_LL_ID_ALL);
+#endif
     if (backup_or_restore) {
         pau_regdma_trigger_extra_link_backup();
     } else {
         pau_regdma_trigger_extra_link_restore();
     }
 }
-#endif
 
 #if SOC_PM_RETENTION_SW_TRIGGER_REGDMA
 void IRAM_ATTR sleep_retention_do_system_retention(bool backup_or_restore)
diff --git a/components/hal/esp32c5/pau_hal.c b/components/hal/esp32c5/pau_hal.c
index 000a958b32..58d5552c82 100644
--- a/components/hal/esp32c5/pau_hal.c
+++ b/components/hal/esp32c5/pau_hal.c
@@ -40,7 +40,10 @@ void pau_hal_start_regdma_extra_link(pau_hal_context_t *hal, bool backup_or_rest
     pau_ll_clear_regdma_backup_done_intr_state(hal->dev);
     /* The link 3 of REGDMA is reserved, we use it as an extra linked list to
      * provide backup and restore services for BLE, IEEE802.15.4 and possibly
-     * other modules */
+     * other modules.
+     * It is also used as software trigger REGDMA to backup and restore, and is
+     * used by the UT to test module driver retention function.
+     */
     pau_ll_select_regdma_entry_link(hal->dev, 3);
     pau_ll_set_regdma_entry_link_backup_direction(hal->dev, backup_or_restore);
     pau_ll_set_regdma_entry_link_backup_start_enable(hal->dev);
diff --git a/components/hal/esp32c6/pau_hal.c b/components/hal/esp32c6/pau_hal.c
index cc39004bae..1baff61487 100644
--- a/components/hal/esp32c6/pau_hal.c
+++ b/components/hal/esp32c6/pau_hal.c
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2022-2023 Espressif Systems (Shanghai) CO LTD
+ * SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2022-2024 Espressif Systems (Shanghai) CO LTD
  *
  * SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
  */
@@ -40,7 +40,10 @@ void IRAM_ATTR pau_hal_start_regdma_extra_link(pau_hal_context_t *hal, bool back
     pau_ll_clear_regdma_backup_done_intr_state(hal->dev);
     /* The link 3 of REGDMA is reserved, we use it as an extra linked list to
      * provide backup and restore services for BLE, IEEE802.15.4 and possibly
-     * other modules */
+     * other modules.
+     * It is also used as software trigger REGDMA to backup and restore, and is
+     * used by the UT to test module driver retention function.
+     */
     pau_ll_select_regdma_entry_link(hal->dev, 3);
     pau_ll_set_regdma_entry_link_backup_direction(hal->dev, backup_or_restore);
     pau_ll_set_regdma_entry_link_backup_start_enable(hal->dev);
diff --git a/components/hal/esp32c61/pau_hal.c b/components/hal/esp32c61/pau_hal.c
index 6b5d4f631c..21a393a634 100644
--- a/components/hal/esp32c61/pau_hal.c
+++ b/components/hal/esp32c61/pau_hal.c
@@ -42,7 +42,10 @@ void IRAM_ATTR pau_hal_start_regdma_extra_link(pau_hal_context_t *hal, bool back
     pau_ll_clear_regdma_backup_done_intr_state(hal->dev);
     /* The link 3 of REGDMA is reserved, we use it as an extra linked list to
      * provide backup and restore services for BLE, IEEE802.15.4 and possibly
-     * other modules */
+     * other modules.
+     * It is also used as software trigger REGDMA to backup and restore, and is
+     * used by the UT to test module driver retention function.
+     */
     pau_ll_select_regdma_entry_link(hal->dev, 3);
     pau_ll_set_regdma_entry_link_backup_direction(hal->dev, backup_or_restore);
     pau_ll_set_regdma_entry_link_backup_start_enable(hal->dev);
diff --git a/components/hal/esp32h2/pau_hal.c b/components/hal/esp32h2/pau_hal.c
index 6eeaaef002..4426cdbc9f 100644
--- a/components/hal/esp32h2/pau_hal.c
+++ b/components/hal/esp32h2/pau_hal.c
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2022-2023 Espressif Systems (Shanghai) CO LTD
+ * SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2022-2024 Espressif Systems (Shanghai) CO LTD
  *
  * SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
  */
@@ -41,3 +41,26 @@ void IRAM_ATTR pau_hal_regdma_clock_configure(pau_hal_context_t *hal, bool enabl
     HAL_FORCE_MODIFY_U32_REG_FIELD(PCR.regdma_conf, regdma_rst_en, !enable);
     HAL_FORCE_MODIFY_U32_REG_FIELD(PCR.regdma_conf, regdma_clk_en, enable);
 }
+
+void IRAM_ATTR pau_hal_start_regdma_extra_link(pau_hal_context_t *hal, bool backup_or_restore)
+{
+    pau_ll_clear_regdma_backup_done_intr_state(hal->dev);
+    /* The link 3 of REGDMA is reserved, we use it as an extra linked list to
+     * provide backup and restore services for BLE, IEEE802.15.4 and possibly
+     * other modules.
+     * It is also used as software trigger REGDMA to backup and restore, and is
+     * used by the UT to test module driver retention function.
+     */
+    pau_ll_select_regdma_entry_link(hal->dev, 3);
+    pau_ll_set_regdma_entry_link_backup_direction(hal->dev, backup_or_restore);
+    pau_ll_set_regdma_entry_link_backup_start_enable(hal->dev);
+
+    while (!(pau_ll_get_regdma_intr_raw_signal(hal->dev) & PAU_DONE_INT_RAW));
+}
+
+void IRAM_ATTR pau_hal_stop_regdma_extra_link(pau_hal_context_t *hal)
+{
+    pau_ll_set_regdma_entry_link_backup_start_disable(hal->dev);
+    pau_ll_select_regdma_entry_link(hal->dev, 0); /* restore link select to default */
+    pau_ll_clear_regdma_backup_done_intr_state(hal->dev);
+}
diff --git a/components/hal/esp32p4/pau_hal.c b/components/hal/esp32p4/pau_hal.c
index 2852d99a92..08c6adaf08 100644
--- a/components/hal/esp32p4/pau_hal.c
+++ b/components/hal/esp32p4/pau_hal.c
@@ -46,9 +46,9 @@ void IRAM_ATTR pau_hal_stop_regdma_modem_link(pau_hal_context_t *hal)
 void IRAM_ATTR pau_hal_start_regdma_extra_link(pau_hal_context_t *hal, bool backup_or_restore)
 {
     pau_ll_clear_regdma_backup_done_intr_state(hal->dev);
-    /* The link 3 of REGDMA is reserved, we use it as an extra linked list to
-     * provide backup and restore services for BLE, IEEE802.15.4 and possibly
-     * other modules */
+    /* The link 3 of REGDMA is reserved, it is used as software trigger REGDMA to backup and
+     * restore, and is used by the UT to test module driver retention function.
+     */
     pau_ll_select_regdma_entry_link(hal->dev, 3);
     pau_ll_set_regdma_entry_link_backup_direction(hal->dev, backup_or_restore);
     pau_ll_set_regdma_entry_link_backup_start_enable(hal->dev);
diff --git a/components/soc/include/soc/regdma.h b/components/soc/include/soc/regdma.h
index 59897b1ebf..b392238aa2 100644
--- a/components/soc/include/soc/regdma.h
+++ b/components/soc/include/soc/regdma.h
@@ -26,6 +26,9 @@ extern "C" {
 
 #define ENTRY(n)    (BIT(n))
 
+// Only used for driver retention function testing when lightsleep is not supported
+#define REGDMA_SW_TRIGGER_ENTRY             (ENTRY(3))
+
 #define REGDMA_PHY_LINK(_pri)               ((0x00 << 8) | _pri)
 #define REGDMA_PCR_LINK(_pri)               ((0x01 << 8) | _pri)
 #define REGDMA_MODEMSYSCON_LINK(_pri)       ((0x02 << 8) | _pri)